Wasted Away

When you think of Jimmy Buffet, you tend to think of some slacker lounging on the beach or on the deck of a cabin cruiser, drinking tropical drinks off the coast of some Caribbean island, just relaxing and day-dreaming while planning his next deep-sea fishing excursion. You think of good times and silly, meaningless albeit fun music and partying. You wouldn't imagine his songs would have the kind of effect that a song by, say, Marilyn Manson might have if played at the wrong place at the wrong time, around just the right-or wrong-psychotic person on a drink-and-drug binge.

Well, evidently, you would be wrong.

A soldier from Fort Bragg, hanging out at a bar in Steamboat Springs, Col., was reportedly killed as a result of a bar fight, instigated when the soldier and a couple of friends put a Buffett song on the jukebox.

The police captain was quoted in the Rocky Mountain News as saying, "(Lopez) and two other individuals put on the song, but two other individuals did not agree with it."


The article doesn't say which Buffet song it was, but in retrospect, I can imagine ways in which almost any of them could induce this type of reaction under the right circumstances-especially if played repeatedly.

If I had to make a bet, though, I would have to put my money on "Cheeseburgers In Paradise"

The American Dream-Everybody Wants A Piece

Don'cha just love Larry Flynt? Well, hell, why not bail out the porn industry? They probably have more employees, and customers, and make more money, than the American auto industry. Forget Ford, Chrysler, and General Motors. What could possibly be more American than Playboy, Penthouse, and Hustler? In their own twisted way, they do provide a vital, needed service, and as the article notes, we are definitely a nation in need. As Flynt said in his statement in which he expressed the hopes for a congressional bailout for the porn industry-

"People are too depressed to be sexually active," Flynt said in the statement. "This is very unhealthy as a nation. Americans can do without cars and such but they cannot do without sex."

"With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind. It's time for congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America. The only way they can do this is by supporting the adult industry and doing it quickly."

I wholeheartedly agree. If something isn't done, and soon, some of my favorite lounge dancers might quit and start working as school teachers or something. That would just be wrong on so many levels.

Lawsuit In The Making

Sometimes Andrew Sullivan serves up some real vile concoctions in his so-called "Daily Dish", but he's really served up a sewer full of shit now. John Travolta should sue this ass hat, and The Atlantic too, by the way. Yep, in case you haven't figured it out, Sullivan has implied that Travolta is acting shady over the death of his son Jett.

Of course, he's too clever to come right out and accuse him or murdering his beloved son, who died a few days ago from a seizure-well, according to the autopsy which Sullivan informs us was overseen by Travolta's family physician. No, he just points out that Travolta had the son hurriedly cremated without releasing the official results of the autopsy. He leaves it up to us to fill in the blanks, even throwing in there that Travolta flew the family jet home from the Bahamas. I guess if he was that distraught he couldn't do that, huh, Andrew? What a toad.

Of course if he is sued he would probably claim he was merely implying that Travolta was trying to hide the facts of his son's condition in the face of claims the boy was autistic, something the Travolta's have previously denied. What's next? Did the boy die as the result of some bizarre Scientologist healing ritual, perhaps-or a secret cult sacrifice? Hell, they do believe in reincarnation, you know.

It's not just Sullivan, either. Inside Edition has been covering this story, and one of the correspondents tonight was about to explode out of her panties trying to find out an ambulance driver's opinion as to what Travolta meant when, after his son died, he said to the dead boy, "I'm sorry".

She actually smiled when she asked this. It was ghoulish. She didn't even hide her delight at the prospect of getting a confirmation of something sinister. The ambulance driver however merely said that he figured Travolta meant he was sorry he couldn't help him, or something to that affect. Unfortunately, the editing process blacked out what I would guess was probably her disappointed reaction.

These people are really treading on thin ice, and the First Amendment is not an excuse. This is not an attempt to ferret out the truth concerning a matter of importance or interest. This is nothing but an attempt to sell papers and attract viewers, and rake in advertising dollars.

I usually like to soak in a hot bath at night, but tonight I think I need a shower.

Blog Wars-Wonkette versus Confluence

For your entertainment pleasure, I now present what stands to be a jolly good laugh-a war of bloggers, both allegedly of the liberal persuasion. Wonkette and Confluence have been going at each other all day now. Well, more accurately, they've just been slinging mud at each other by way of comments pages. Unfortunately, neither will publish the others comments on their respective blogs, on the posts on which each has attacked the other-which would make it even funnier-but they are still managing to pull in the comments from their respective supporters.

It's simple, really. Wonkette supports Obama, while Confluence is a PUMA blog that is still up in arms over Hillary's defeat. They are now upset that Wonkette is currently leading the voting for Best Liberal Blog for the 2008 Blog Awards.

I don't blame them. If I paid good money to Technorati to make the top blogs list and found myself being trounced by a hated rival in the popular vote, I'd probably feel pretty stupid. It's got to bite to be a Hillary supporter and get trounced in an election by an Obama supporter, even if it is just for a blog award. Kind of like rubbing salt in the wound. Or, in this case, taking off your bra and seeing nobody looking in your window but kids pointing and laughing at your sagging breasts. Or maybe walking outside in a house robe, whereupon the neighbor dog walks up to you wagging his tail, sniffing your crotch-and running away whining and howling in agony.

Of course, to your average Confluence reader, sagging breasts and douche abstinence both seem to be badges of honor. They just won't publish your comments if you make mention of them. At least with Wonkette, you can comment, provided you are pre-approved for commenting. In fact, I supposedly can, if I can only remember my password. Why bother?

I won't vote for either, of course, or for any of the nominated blogs in any category. That's because I resent the Technorati criterion. To me, that should not be a factor, but since it is, I will express my rebellious streak by not promoting it-therefore, no link to it from here. Google it if you must.

As for these two blogs, I admit to enjoying Wonkette on occasions, for no other reason than the snarky sarcasm that is their stock-in-trade. The PUMA people are just sore losers. That's the least of it. These people are deranged. What kind of person devotes this much time to a failed presidential campaign. Earth to PUMA-IT'S FUCKING OVER! Read them and bear in mind, these are the two faces of the Democratic Party. Not a pretty sight.

Well, Wonkette is-you just don't want to bring her home to meet the folks. Just screw around with her a few times and pass her on to your friends. At least you can't smell her from across the room.

American Recovery And Reinvestment Plan

Okay, it's damn sure not perfect, but I have to admit that, on balance, I like it. Especially two components of it. Make that three.

1. Payroll tax cuts to low income to middle income workers, which would apply even to workers with no end of the year tax liability. More money immediately in your pocket, as opposed to waiting till the end of the year refund. As much as 500 dollars per individual and up to 1000 dollars per couple. Not a lot when stretched out over the course of the year by way of weekly paycheck (about ten dollars per week per individual, twenty dollars per week per couple), but still helps, provided it doesn't lessen tax refunds. If it did, now that would bite.

2. Tax cuts to businesses to cover losses of the previous five years (it is currently limited to last two years losses). What does Obama think he is-a Republican or something?

Finally, my favorite, and it's about damn time-

3. Tax cuts to businesses to keep jobs in America, and/or avoiding further lay-offs. One of the few good Democratic proposals of recent years, and in fact practically the only good idea John Kerry ever had. It is sorely needed. Now, if we can only get the damn thing passed.

Of course, not everything in the proposed legislation is that good, but, you got to take-well, you know.

Okay, you can shoot me now.

Assud The Jew Eating Rabbit

Silly rabbit. He's a replacement for Nahoul, the Killer Bee whose "martyrdom" is portrayed at the beginning of this segment of the popular Palestinian children's program "The Pioneers Of Tomorrow". Due to the Israeli blockade, poor Nahoul was unable to reach a hospital in Egypt for a life-saving operation. Previously, there was Farfour the Mouse, who was "martyred" by a brutal Israeli interrogator, in an act of violence that was also portrayed in a segment of a previous program.

The little girl is named Saraa, probably the daughter or granddaughter of a mid-level Hamas leader. She is the hostess of the show, which is basically over-the-top Hamas propaganda. Among other things, it advocates, in fact demands, the liberation of the Al Aqsa mosque and the land of Palestine from the "filthy Jews", and encourages martyrdom to it's young viewers.

I picked this particular segment, though it's out of order, because it has what I assume is a regular feature, a call-in segment where viewers can call in with questions. In the one question asked on this particular segment, someone asks the rabbit why his name is Assud, which means "lion". The bunny from hell answers that a rabbit is a no good coward, after which he promises he will "eat the Jews".

Chilling. And a very good indication of why there will never be peace in the region as long as the Palestinians are controlled or influenced by such as Hamas. In view of the on-going Israeli onslaught against Hamas, I am going to make this a regular series. It helps put the whole affair in perspective. The little girl is gone. It's too late for her. She is probably ruined. She will grow up with the knowledge of the blood of children on her hands, if she grows up at all. For Hamas to use her as an advocate to encourage other Palestinian children to follow their path is in my opinion the depths of depravity.

This is more than just an appeal to patriotism. This is outright lies and child abuse. An overall viewing of some of these videos should put an end, once and for all, to the notion that Hamas might ever be bargained or reasoned with.

I know by the way there are some who will protest that this video was deliberately misinterpreted by Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency. I don't buy that for a second. It would be too easy to disprove. Besides, in some instances, translation is all but unnecessary, if not superfluous.

At any rate, view this video at your own risk. A strong stomach is in order. It speaks volumes that once cartoon characters reach a certain level of popularity and recognition to the children of Palestine, they are "martyred" at such a time as to achieve maximum impact, and then replaced by another to carry on the fight-all the while encouraging the children of Palestine to join the "Pioneers Of Tomorrow", many of whom will likewise willingly, even gladly, join Nahoul and Farfour in "martyrdom".

Puce Moment

This charming little video has only been on YouTube for a week, though it has been around for a while. It is titled Puce Moment, and is actually a fragment of a larger work called Puce Women, by avant-garde underground film director Kenneth Anger. It seems Anger and myself have something in common other than an interest in occult ritual. We are both enamored of silent-era Hollywood, which is the subject of this film.

The actress in the film is one Yvonne Marquis, who sometime later went to Mexico, where she became the mistress of the then President of that country. As interesting as that is, it is matched by the enigma of the score, recorded in 1966 by an unknown psychedelic folk-rock artist named Jonathan Halper-who following this seems to have vanished completely from the face of the earth. Granted, he has a YouTube site, but I am almost convinced the person who put up the site is not the genuine article. Who is he then? Listen to the two songs on the video, which replaced the original score by Verdi (remember, the film was originally made in 1949).

You have Leaving My Old Life Behind, followed by Yes, I Am A Hermit. I am almost half-way convinced that Jonathan Halper does not exist (despite Anger's cryptic response to a query as to the artist's identity that it was a "friend" who never did anything else).

As crazy as it sounds, I can't help but think this is the Beatles-or at least two of them. The vocals of Leaving My Old Life Behind sounds suspiciously like George Harrison. The vocals of Yes I Am A Hermit sound even more suspiciously like John Lennon. The music of both songs are perfectly reminiscent of the musical period the Beatles were going through at this particular time-the Rubber Soul, and, especially, the Revolver sessions. The lyrics seem to fit as well. All this could be explained as Lennon and Harrison's desire to work on something away from the limelight by which they now felt so constrained. They, and of course Anger, would not have wanted the original film overshadowed by the score, nor would the two pop-stars be particular eager for a public association with the controversial filmmaker.

I know it sounds unlikely, but given everything we know about the Beatles during this period, and Anger himself, it's not out of the realm of probability. An earlier association with Anger, in fact, might well have led to the later pairing of Lennon with another certain avant-garde filmmaker-by the name of Yoko Ono.

At any rate, this is a nice little film to start off the New Year. Something old to ring in the new, you might say.

New Years Chili

In keeping with the last Yule, and in honor of my (made-up)Yule God, I now present for your New Years edification, the following chili recipe, which I call, of course-

The Mighty Eskimo Chili Recipe

You will need-

2 pds. of ground moose burger (failing that, two pounds of ground chuck will do just fine-it did for me).

two eight-ounce cans of tomato sauce (and equal parts water)
one-half of a large green pepper
one-half of a small white onion
one eight-ounce can of pinto beans
About twenty strands of spaghetti broken up into quarter pieces
one-half can of beer, flat
one Hershey's bar (or one large piece of homemade fantasy fudge recipe from Kraft Marshmallow Cream jar).
one package of chili seasoning mix
hot sauce-about nine dashes, or to taste

First, in a large skillet, brown the meat, and drain the grease into a container for disposal.

In a large saucepan, add the meat, the seasoning mix, the tomato sauce and water, mix thoroughly over medium heat. After it comes to a boil, add the beans, the onion, and the green pepper. Allow to boil lightly for about twenty minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Then, add the candy and the beer and the hot sauce. Stir as you reduce the hear to low for about ten minutes. Add the spaghetti and then cover with a lid, allowing to simmer for about twenty minutes.

Eat a large bowl for New Years night, with a beer or Coke, etc., along with saltine crackers and Doritos with dip of choice. keep a large roll of toilet paper handy, and don't say I didn't warn you.

Harold Pinter-A Dramatic Effect

I never will forget the time I watched a Harold Pinter play. It was a light-hearted, inspiring, heart-warming and joyous little production about a widower named Steve Douglas, his three lovable sons-Robbie, Chip, and Ernie-and their curmudgeonly old Uncle Charlie.

Oh, wait a minute-that was My Three Sons.

No, the play I saw was The Homecoming, about a retired butcher named Max, his younger brother Sam, who worked as a chauffeur, and Max’s three sons. There was Joey, a construction worker with dreams of being a boxer; Lenny, who seemed to be a pimp; and Teddy, a professor of philosophy at an unnamed American University, who in the play has just returned to the family home in North London for a visit (thus ostensibly the reason for the play’s title). Teddy has also brought along his wife, an attractive woman named Ruth, by whom he has three sons of his own, whom he and Ruth have left in America for the duration of the couple’s visit.

By the time that the play concludes, however, Teddy will be returning to America alone. Ruth has agreed to remain with the family, who has decided to rent her a flat and put her to work as a prostitute. Of course, there’s a lot more leading up to this, as the play seeks to lay bare the elements hidden within what Pinter seeks to convince us is-and what he honestly seems to believe is-a typical working class family.

One of the ironies of Pinter’s plays is in that it would seem there is little evidence that he had any real contact or experience with any family from the lower or working classes. His conception of them would seem to be so cliché’-ridden as to call into question those critics who so frequently hail the genius of his insight. His information would seem to consist of second-hand gossip among the upper and middle classes as to what these families are like.

To be sure, there are families like that to some degree, but there is also a lighter, more positive side that Pinter either dismissed as irrelevant, or perhaps never considered the idea of its existence.

Still, this is not to dismiss the validity of his observations, such as they are. There are certainly darker, seedier sides to the working classes and all others, and Pinter captures them brilliantly, leading one to conclude he must have at least done some form of second-hand research on his subjects aside from idle parlor room gossip.

In fact, I tend to look upon him somewhat as the Walter Sickert of modern drama. Whereas Sickert the Post-Impressionist artist honed his technique of portraying working and lower class subjects “through the keyhole” to display the seedier sides of life, Pinter attempted the same thing in his plays, possibly to greater effect.

Some of course do not agree. One reviewer feels that Pinter’s plays are unlikely to survive him for long. This is more than a valid point. Sickert himself almost vanished from public consciousness after his death and became an unknown to all but a small circle of art experts. It was not until the last couple of decades that interest in Sickert and in his art revived, though this was due mainly to author Patricia Cornwall’s insistence that Sickert was in reality Jack the Ripper.

Nor was Sickert the only great artist to suffer this kind of indignity, aside from perhaps the wild accusations of maniacal crime sprees. Herman Melville, the renowned author of Moby Dick, went through a similar period of obscurity after his passing. It is very possible that, as the author of the piece at the previous link said, Pinter’s work will fade from memory for two reasons. For one thing, his work no longer has any real shock value. For another, people’s tastes are likely to veer towards a more balanced view of the human condition.

Pinter’s work eventually gained him recognition as a Nobel Laureate, and in his acceptance speech, he launched into a tirade against America, which he seemed to blame (along with the Western world in general) for every conceivable ill in the world today. His unabashed hatred of America in fact seemed to eat at him more every day, growing in proportion to the cancer from which he suffered for years, and which eventually took his life during this Christmas season.

Was Pinter always a miserable human being? He very possibly was. He seemed to hate everything about the modern Western world, particularly America, but I wonder how much of this was a projection of his own self-loathing in proportion with his own illness. He even took his political views to the extent of joining a defense of Slobodan Milosevic, probably on the grounds that Milosevic, while arguably a tyrant, was a too-convenient scapegoat for the aims of Western imperialists.

Pinter declared during his later years that he had an obligation to speak out against the excesses of Western political corruption and the excesses of capitalism. Yet, as pointed out here, the irony of his position seems to have escaped him.

As the article puts it-

The ultimate paradox of Pinter's political agitation is that his views – anti-American, anti-capitalist and so on – far from being bravely dissident are now the new artistic orthodoxy. From the National Theatre's house bard David Hare to Turner Prize winner Brian Wallinger, the cultural champions of our time tick most of the boxes on the think-a-like-a-Pinter form.

It is other voices, and this is even more true in the Scottish cultural landscape, which now struggle to be heard. Conformity with the assumptions of a broad left consensus appears to be a precondition for securing an artistic hearing. Cultural conservatism has been driven to the margins. If you doubt me, then let me ask just one question: When was the last time a new right-wing play was commissioned to appear on a Scottish stage? If it's a question to which your only answer is silence, then remember, as Pinter knew, silence can be the most eloquent sound of all.



In any event, if Pinter does fade from public consciousness, I’m sure it won’t be for long. It almost certainly won’t be forever. In the meantime, people continue to discuss his plays and their meanings. Some of his detractors claim they lack meaning, and that Pinter’s major contribution to drama is the use of the pause for dramatic effect, something for which credit him for developing and utilizing to new levels.

At the same time, he has his supporters and fans. This is understandable, as he could be, in real life, engaging as his works were provocative, as demonstrated in this interview.

If I were to give an assessment of Pinter’s work, I would guess he seems to be saying that humans are by nature violent, obsessive, compulsive, and reckless, and that the lives of working and lower class peoples reveal the true core of humanity, stripped of its practiced pretenses. His plays bring it all out, laid bare to the surface.

In the Homecoming, Max waxes poetic about his long-lost friend MacGregor. It’s not until near the end that we learn MacGregor had been carrying on an affair for years with Max’s beloved late wife, the mother of his sons, facilitated by brother Max the chauffeur, whom Max consistently berates and feminizes as consistently as he continually tries to infantilize his sons, whom he delights yet in tucking into bed at nights. Sam eventually falls to the floor, a victim of an apparent heart attack, though it’s unclear if he is dead or dying. The remainder of the family looks upon this as an inconvenience. Teddy, the oldest son, is distressed mainly at losing a ride to the airport back to the US. Nor does he seem particularly distressed that Ruth has decided to remain with the family. Slightly bemused, but not deterred from changing or even delaying his return to America, he seems to have considered this from the beginning of his trip.

Ruth you see was a prostitute before her marriage to Teddy, and Lenny seems to remember her as such from some time past. The Homecoming then is hers. She has dropped the pretenses of civilized culture at last. She was not happy then. She will still not be happy, perhaps, but at least she will be what she always was, and what she will always really be. She can at least pretend to some level of personal fulfillment.

Teddy, whom Ruth tells not to be a stranger, can finally cut away from the totality of his past. We know somehow that he will never see any of them again. He has his own niche inhabited by those pretenses of his own construction, and has no room for those of the past. Yet, we see in time that he will be the same kind of father to his three sons as Max was to he and his brothers. His break from the past is an exercise in futility. It will almost certainly come around full circle.

All the others will continue to live their lives as always. Ruth will be their mother, sister, daughter, and lover. She will fill a void, but that void will doubtless swallow her up inside it, over time. We can easily assume of course that she and Joey eventually go “the whole hog”.

I have to wonder whether Pinter ever watched an episode of My Three Sons. I can easily imagine that he did, and that wholesome picture of family life inspired to write this as a cynical response. In its own way, however, The Homecoming is, though grittier and harsh, funnier, more compelling, and ultimately more satisfying as an artistic endeavor. Unfortunately, it is every bit as realistic as a view of humanity from the opposite extreme as that portrayed by those old time situation comedies. That in itself if anything should give us all pause.

There's No Such Thing As Health Food Either-It All Makes You Shit!

The towns of Harriman and Kingston Tennessee and surrounding areas got more than a lump of coal for Christmas this year-they got about five hundred million gallons of
coal sludge when the retaining wall of a damn broke, sending the refuse cascading through the region, much of it emptying into the Tennessee River in a disaster that dwarfs the Exxon Valdez incident. The following video is aerial footage of the disaster which destroyed three homes, engulfed the entire area, but luckily took no lives. It was taken by one of the local television stations.



The culprit seems to be the Tennessee Valley Authority, and the lack of oversight of the government agency which supplies power to large portions of Tennessee, Kentucky, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia. This disaster was preventable, but the damn that contained the dust, which is basically a by-product of the process by which coal is burned to produce electricity, was not properly maintained. The constant rain, totaling nearly eight inches over the last week or so, was just too much.

They have been quick to reassure area residents the problem will be cleared up relatively quickly, and that there seems to be no unsafe levels of heavy metals or other pollutants on the ground or the drinking water. Hopefully, they will make good at compensating victims in quick fashion.

Just as maddening however is the attitudes of certain environmental groups who see this not as a tragedy, but as an opportunity. The prevailing meme that has spread throughout the environmentalist and leftist blogosphere and web-sites-

This disaster shows that the term ‘clean coal’ is an oxymoron. It’s akin to saying ‘safe cigarette.’ Clean coal doesn’t exist.

Of course, like I said, this coal dust and sludge is in effect a by-product, the waste that resulted in the process of burning coal in producing electricity. You would get this result whether or not you underwent a process of producing clean coal. Of course the natural by-product of such a process is, and will always be, a waste product. And, by the way, this waste product in and of itself is also put to use. It is used in road construction and paving. Therefore, despite what the radical environmentalist left might assert, it is not as though this is some kind of poisonous material with which we are forever doomed to stand guard over, lest some hideous curse be unleashed upon the earth and the environment.

For these people to use this disaster in order to further their agenda is not just inappropriate, it is insensitive and self-serving. It makes me wonder if there possibly might be some sabotage involved.

Plus, their reasoning is just plain stupid, if taken at face value. It's like saying, "hey, there's no such thing as healthy food, because if there was, it wouldn't make you shit."

By the same token, the TVA needs to step up to the plate and quickly compensate those whose properties were damaged and destroyed, and for that matter they need to kick in some extra for pain and suffering. Then they need to make sure this never happens again, here or anywhere else. Bottom line, companies and regulators first concern should be the safety, health, and welfare of the public, as well as their property.

The environmentalists need to stop short of the celebrations. They may not be the villains here, but they are certainly not heroes. Their deeds are in fact in many instances what I would have to describe as toxic.

Yule-When Quinn The Eskimo Gets Here

Yule Tarot Card-The Knight of Cups

Lucky me, I've drawn the Knight of Cups. I'm going to try to ignore the fact that I drew it reversed. So let's see, does it mean I'll find love, peace, and contentment for the upcoming New Year? It seems kind of strange to have to work for those kinds of things. It looks unintentionally hilarious when you have to hunt for them, especially in camouflage. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

Yule Stone-The Greenland Ruby

Yeah, this looks like a sapphire on my computer, which for some reason hates red, but its a ruby, and its this years Yule stone. The ruby is a stone of passion and energy, and is one of the four precious stones-the others being diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires. Where can you find the ruby? Well, Afghanistan, believe it or not, is one of the major areas of the earth for ruby mining. I just found this out today. There are also mines in Vietnam, Pakistan, India, Cambodia, and a few other places. In the US, they are to be found in the Carolinas and Montana.

But, possibly the best kept secret as far as the ruby market goes, is the very extensive finds within Greenland. And, of course, certain companies are determined to exploit these mines for all they're worth, at the expense of the native Inuit population, who view the ruby as a divine stone. It is not that uncommon for some to be in possession of stones worth in the neighborhood of half a million dollars.

It has been known for some time that Greenland possessed an abundance of rubies, but it wasn't until the recent retreat of the Northern glaciers and ice floes that perhaps the largest area of ruby mines were uncovered.

Greenland, by the way, is an autonomous state of Denmark, and sends two representatives to the Danish Assembly, yet they are not-repeat not-a member of the EU. I wonder how long that will last. Of course, this could be a way for the Danes to keep the mineral wealth of the island to themselves. There is also diamonds, gold, and petroleum of some kind there, among other things.

The Inuit, both full-blooded and those that are of mixed Danish heritage, all together of whom make up roughly 84% of the population (the other 26 percent are of pure Danish extraction) are discouraged from mining the fields, other than as employees of the major mining companies. Naturally, they have their advocates who are intent on making sure they get their fair share of the profits.

You might want to read this article.

Who would ever imagine land in Greenland would ever look so good?

Yule Power Animal-What Else?

Yeah, this is what I came up with. Well, I drew an adult one, but I thought, hey, since Yule represents a new birth and stuff, this might be more in keeping with the spirit of this particular Sabbat. Cute huh? Yeah, well just wait a while. Still, a perfect picture when you consider the recent snowstorms that have blanketed the Northeast, to say nothing of snow in New Orleans, of all places.

Also, it seems global warming has put this poor little tyke in a precarious position. The ice sheets in his Arctic Circle environment are continually dwindling, making it harder for he and his parents to find enough food to sustain them. They hunt off the ice, you know. They stalk seals and such, and have even been known to hunt beluka whales when they have no other choice. They aren't exactly on the endangered species list, but-well, they're getting there, put it that way.

They can swim for miles, and for long stretches at a time, but of course they need a base of solid ice. They can live on frozen land, but its not suitable for their dietary needs.

Ironically, if this global warming keeps up, they might find the Great Lakes more to their liking. I think the extra arctic moisture due to increased evaporation of the ice sheets is in fact a primary component to the increase in the wintry weather throughout so much of the US. Therefore, more than ever, the polar bear is our brother. Of course, here in Kentucky, we mostly have rain, dag nab it.

Still, cold days are ahead for us all, in more ways than one. So, in keeping with the spirit of the season, I will attune with the spirit of the Yule Power Animal, the polar bear, in the hopes of acquiring his strength, stamina, and his dogged determination.

Hard Times Are Upon Us

Today, December 21st, at roughly 7:04 a.m. eastern standard time, as the Sun enters the first degree of Capricorn, with Mars a mere four to five degrees back in Sagittarius, what else could be more ominous than the Sun being in a near-to-perfect conjunction with Pluto, planet of death, destruction, and regeneration? Well-

HAPPY YULE!

One Step Back And A Deep Breath Forward

Things aren't always what they seem, and like most people, I might have somewhat jumped the gun over the recent Blagojevich scandal. Note I said a little bit. I have no doubt this guy is as corrupt as-well, as nearly any other governor with the sudden ability to exercise the power to appoint a replacement to the US Senate. That's just the point. This guy probably hasn't done anything any other governor has not or would not do.

Realistically speaking, what governor would not appoint the person he thought would most likely help him in his own political or other career? Granted, this might not always come down to bribery, pay-off, appointments of self and/or spouse to high paying positions, etc. On the other hand, is even all of that really that unusual?

Something has been bothering me about this whole thing, and it's been a nagging pain in the back of my mind. I think I can sum it up in two words-Patrick Fitzgerald.

This is the guy that insisted on crucifying Scooter Libby over the "Plamegate" affair, and went about the job of wrecking this guy's career, weeks and even months after he knew full well Libby was not the originator of the leak of the identity of CIA agent Valerie Plame. The true original leaker was actually Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage, who was never charged, nor even, so far as is known, questioned or investigated. Granted, Libby and some others might have shared some degree of guilt, but his role at least was minor in comparison to that of Armitage, who played the whole thing off like it was a slip of the tongue on his part that others merely took advantage of.

Now, US Attorney Fitzgerald has his sights set on yet another target, the beleaguered Illinois Governor. Yet, the question remains, who exactly did Blagojevich attempt to bribe? It would appear that he spoke to some length with Jesse Jackson Jr., who is rumored to be Fitzgerald's source in all this. However, is there anything to back up this assertion, other than loose talk and some Nixonesque gutter language? Were candidates one through four offered the current and soon-to-be vacated Senate seat of President-elect Obama in exchange for-what?

I smell a rat. I smell a lot of them. Depending on the degree of involvement of Rahm Emmanuel, Obama's pick for Chief-of-Staff, this could get ugly, but maybe not if Fitzgerald manages to finagle some kind of appointment, albeit somewhere down the road-you know, just to make it look good. FBI Director Fitzgerald. Has an ominous ring to it, does it not? For that matter, has Obama already picked his Attorney General? Well, things can change.

As for Blagojevich, he and Obama, at least according to current political gossip, have not been especially close, although I'm not sure exactly what the problems or areas of disagreements are, if any. At any rate, this might in fact be the true extent of Obama's involvement. Get rid of a prickly thorn in his side in the person of Blagojevich, set up his chosen replacement in the Illinois Governor's mansion who would then appoint Obama's annointed successor in the US Senate. Fitzgerald gets his payoff somewhere down the road, in the form of a cushy promotion.

Unfortunately, the feisty Blagojevich isn't playing by the game book. This could actually turn out to be cause for much merriment, as more developments unfold.

Rick Warren To Lead Prayer At Obama Inauguration-So What?

You have to hand it to Barak Obama. Like most presidents, he promised he would do his utmost to be the president of all Americans, so his decision to have Pastor Rick Warren deliver the invocation at his inauguration seems in keeping with that promise, and that tradition of inclusion. It is particularly impressive when you stop to consider that, more than any other single person, Rick Warren came closest to derailing the presidential campaign of Barak Obama, when the candidate appeared with John McCain at the so-called "Saddleback Forum", named after the Saddleback Church in California of which Warren is the pastor.

Obama made an extremely poor showing and came across to many conservative and even moderate Americans as both arrogant and somehow at the same time evasive. McCain's remarks, by contrast, propelled him in the polls over Obama appreciably. Had the election been held just a few days later, McCain would have handily won.

Of course, it did not turn out that way, and it is true that the victorious Obama can certainly afford to be gracious, but that's beside the point. This seems to be at least an attempt to heal divisions and at least put on a show of bringing the country together.

However, the gay activist community is in an uproar over the decision, mainly due to Warren's opposition to gay marriage, especially his opposition to the California Supreme Court decision upholding the rights of gays to marriage in that state. It is perhaps understandable they feel that way, in that Warren was instrumental in leading the drive to outlaw gay marriage in California, a drive which was successfully implemented by way of popular vote during the last election.

Well, as much as I would like to say I don't really care about this matter, the facts remain, many people do, and are opposed to gay marriage. For the gay lobby to expect a president of the US to relegate a man whose views on this matter represents the majority of Americans to the background is short-sighted at best.

For one thing, there are many good and valid reasons to support gay marriage, but there are as many equally valid reasons to oppose it. Here are just a few I can think of off the top of my head.

1. Divorce Court. The court dockets throughout the nation are crammed to overflowing as it is. Why add to it? Who would it really benefit?

2. Child adoption. Some might make a case that under the Equal Protection clause of the constitution, gay couples would have just as much right to adopt a child as a heterosexual couple. If this were decided in the affirmative, it would be a disaster. True, some gay couples would undoubtedly make as good or even better adoptive parents than many heterosexual couples, but that's beside the point. There would be an internal conflict within the mind of an adoptive child that could cause just more problems, and if there is anything kids in this world have more than enough of, it's problems.

It would be absurd to imagine that school kids would be accepting and tolerant of children with same sex parents. Sure, some would, but most would not. At the very best, the child would be shunned by many if not most of his peers. At worse, they would be subject to unfair speculation and bullying.

In the long run, this could all create a backlash against gay citizens like nothing they have yet experienced. Yet, they seem not to consider any of this.

3. The Boy Scouts. Gays have cut their own throat by assaulting this organization and insisting they be denied access to public lands, tax exempt status, etc. Their case for such a position is shaky at best, but they pursue it relentlessly, or at least have in the past. This leaves the impression that gay activists want nothing more than to force their will on any organization, including churches, that do not welcome them in at least with open arms, if not zippers. Well, there are certain churches and other religious groups that are never going to do that, tax exemptions be damned. At the same time, it's hard to fault them for wanting to maintain that firewall against any prospect of limiting their rights as organizations which they have traditionally enjoyed.

Gays deny this intent of course, but as surely as night follows day, there are some who will pursue this tactic vociferously, just as they have against the Boy Scouts organization. Who can blame religious organizations for casting a wary eye at them, especially when they see the debaucel that has unfolded within the Episcopal Church over the last few years. Some legitimately suggest this has happened through leftist and/or gay activist infiltration. I don't know that I would go that far, but it is certainly a valid point of inquiry. Does anyone doubt for a minute that, without the leadership of Rome, the American Catholic Church might well take a similar position?

Well, like it or not, there are conservative Christians who hold to a more traditionalist view of Biblical scripture and, like it or not, they aren't going to sit by calmly while more liberal views are crammed down their throat. Not to put too fine a point on it, but they aren't just going to bend over and take it like men. At the same time, they would prefer to not have to be put in that position to begin with, and they feel, with much justification, that liberalization of gay marriage laws might well lead to just that, and more.

All of these things are questions that will have to be answered forthrightly and openly by the leadership of the gay community before there can ever be any progress made at acceptance of that same gay community by mainstream American society. These are real and valid concerns that will not be answered by the typical leftist flame-throwing and name calling tactics.

Rick Warren, by the way, is not by any means a "conservative" Christian. He is actually quite moderate, at least in comparison to such fundamentalist stalwarts as Jerry Falwell, Pat Robertson, or Doctor James Dobson. For the gay community to demand that Obama cast him and his followers into the political wilderness of outer darkness is actually quite intolerant and dogmatic, when you stop to think about it.

Personally, I feel the First Amendment Rights of everyone should be respected, including those of fundamentalist Christians. No one has a constitutional right to be universally loved. Obama felt anything but love when he spoke at Warren's Saddleback Forum. If he can move on, everyone else should do likewise.

Solving Kentucky's Budget Problem One Brain Cell At A Time

Kentucky has a budget shortfall of roughly half a billion dollars, so of course like any good Democrat, Governor Steve Beshear proposes to fix this by raising cigarette taxes. He and his supporters claim that by doing so we will go a long way toward resolving this problem, and at the same time, we will cut down on the number of smokers.

I seem to be at something of a loss at understanding how raising cigarette taxes will accomplish both of these goals.

I have a better idea, one that will solve Kentucky's problem, probably within a two-to-three year span of time, and leave us with a government surplus, thus enabling to add to, not take away, from the Rainy-Day Fund.

The answer-spread the pain, and then, just like that, take it away. How?

Simply, Kentucky sales taxes are six cents on the dollar. Raise them to seven cents. That's how you spread the pain. So then, how do you take that pain away so quick few if any people even notice it?

You cut cigarette taxes, and state gasoline taxes, in half.

Whamo! Problem solved. Reckon there would be any takers?

Of course not.

Things Fall Apart

OPEC has decided to raise the price of oil, and by the time you read this it will probably be old news, so I'm not going to waste my time hunting for a link to a source, or try to hunt down a clever photo to try to cast a humorous slant on the matter. The point is, while I see their dilemna it bodes no good for the US or the West in general. The drop in oil, gas, and heating prices-and for the matter housing-has been one of the few good things in the current economy, and now soon enough, that too will be gone. Bottom line, in order to maintain their current levels of spending, OPEC needs gas prices to hover close to the three dollar per gallon range. Now the US average is 1.67, a price we all should have known was unrealistic to maintain for any length of time.

In the meantime, there are murmurs that Toyota likely will record it's first loss in twelve years. What does that mean? It means the US Congress, or possibly President Bush (by way of executive order) is going to be throwing more bad money after bad money and bail out the American auto industry. I know, I supported loans to the industry, and still do, but I'm just afraid the loans are going to turn into "loans", with no oversight, just another example of money disappearing down a rat hole.

It's a sure sign that America is quickly becoming a third world nation when the most powerful people in our society, the captains of industry, start behaving like Third World Thugs with American taxpayer money. Only in our case, the soldiers and mercenaries are the unions and their supporters in Congress. Yet, they should see that if Toyota falls on hard times, it's a safe bet that GM, Ford, and Chrysler are not going to fare any better any time soon. Don't think for one minute, however, that will give them pause.

The futility lies in the face of the facts that, bottom line, no one is eager to spend any more money than necessary and a new car doesn't make the top ten list of necessities, especially when there is no assurance that there will be a supply of replacement parts in production within the near future. It would be quite foolish to plop down twenty or thirty thousand dollars on an item that you might possibly not be able to have repaired or serviced.

In the meantime, China is quickly disintegrating. Factories are closing due to falling orders from overseas, especially the United States.

Why is all this happening? Because we have grown an insatiable government bureaucracy whose appetite never wavers, and like some malignant tumor, it has grown and intertwined with similar entities across the world. These kinds of government bureaucracies thrive on money, and the higher are the prices of commodities and necessities, the more they can rake in in the way of taxes.

That's the reason these people and their political allies want to keep prices artificially inflated on anything from automobiles and the power sources that fuel them, to houses and the power sources that heat and cool them, to the very food that fuels and provides our sustenance. When these prices fall flat, their tax structure falls apart, and then the world falls into chaos.

Thus, you have a desperate scramble to fund, to bail out, to loan, to fund government make work projects, all in a vain attempt to keep prices, and thus the tax revenue they bring in, artificially inflated.

Of course, some people see the silver lining in the potential of the auto companies potential failures. This might actually be the best time to invest in GM stock. After all, if the current owners can't save the company, somebody somewhere is surely going to buy it for a song, which is a major factor behind objections to any auto company bailout. The stock might not be worth much now, but someday, it surely will. It's worth a gamble. On the other hand, if the unions aren't reined in, maybe not.

The American people of course tend to see lower prices as a good thing, but when was the American government and bureaucracy ever in sync with the American public?

Dancing Girls Stand Up to Islamic Fundamentalists

The Mujra is a dance that has been a part of Pakistani culture since well before there ever was a Pakistan-since the days of the Mughal Empire, in fact. Yet, it is an art form that is under the gun these days in Pakistani society, according to this post from Renegade Eye-

The dancing girls of Lahore, the cultural capital of Pakistan, are on strike in protest against the tide of Talibanisation that is threatening to destroy an art form that has flourished since the Mughal empire.

The strike, which is supported by the theatres where they perform, was sparked by the decision of Lahore High Court last month to ban the Mujra, the graceful and elaborate dance first developed in the Mughal courts 400 years ago, on the grounds that it is too sexually explicit.

The Pakistani courts have attempted vainly to encourage dancers to move to what the article calls "family friendly" dances, but the girls who make up the dancing community have balked, and went on strike, with the support of the theater owners. As a result the ban on Mujra has been lifted. Unfortunately, the main danger is not so much through the courts, but through the atmosphere of vigilantism they have spawned, resulting in acts of terrorism directed against many of the "juice bars" and DVD/CD stores of Lahore, which is the cultural capital of the country.

Unlike the dancers and their supporters, many within the Lahore community fear to speak out against the oppression for fear of further retaliation by religious extremists. As explained here-

A striking feature of those suffering persecution from fundamentalists is not their fear but their acceptance that, if they had encouraged immorality, they deserved punishment. The main centre for selling CDs and DVDs in Lahore is Hall Road. But when one of the tough-looking shopkeepers received a threatening letter accusing him and others of selling risqué films, the mood was not one of defiance, but of submission. The traders heaped up the forbidden DVDs and CDs in the middle of Hall Road and made a giant bonfire. "I swear we sell no pornography," said one nervously.

Following is a YouTube video of a Pakistani dance, featuring a dance troupe consisting of both men and women.



There are many such dance videos of Pakistani dancers on YouTube, though whether this particular one is accurately described as Mujra is hard to say. It might well be more of a Bollywood style, or some hybrid. Yet, whatever the case, it is easy to ascertain that the objections of the rigid fundamentalist Islamic radicals put all such endeavors in danger of extinction, or at least being pushed far underground. Their goal is evidently not just to suppress, but to wipe out all vestiges of what they consider an un-Islamic culture.

Thankfully, there are some within Pakistani society willing to stand up for their rights, though obviously at great personal danger to their well-being and their very lives.